In a strange outburst of ignorance, Bono, of British U2 fame and a purported international human rights advocate, recently chastised the Palestinians in the New York Times no less, because they had no Gandhi, no ML King or Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader of nonviolent protest of their movement to attain freedom and self-determination. As Phil Weiss noted, it was curious how Bono failed to mention Nelson Mandela or Bishop Desmond Tutu, who helped to take down South African Apartheid, and have been advocates for Palestinian freedom for years. Apparently Bono needed some cover because he agreed to perform in Israel, a nation that has keep Palestinians under occupation for over 40 years for the sole purpose of taking their lands. By contrast, the singer Santana has recently canceled his planned engagement in Israel next summer as a result of Israel’s continuing subjugation of the Palestinian people while it expands settlements on Palestinian lands.
The Palestinians replied that they, the Gandhis, are all under arrest or in prison, a common practice of Israel’s attempt to silence nonviolent protest by arresting its leaders.
Bono’s ignorance (or exceptionalism) probably extends to recent incidents involving arrests of Palestinian leaders of nonviolent peace activism, but also the latest incident, in which Israeli soldiers raided the offices of the most venerable peace organization in the West Bank, the International Solidarity Movement, which also has offices all over the United States and in numerous countries around the world. ISM is run by its co-founder, Ghassan Andoni, who was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Bono knows what’s going on but appears too timid or fearful of confronting the state of Israel and/or perhaps its supporters in the music industry.
